diff --git a/src/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.cpp b/src/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.cpp
index 6596ad4626..0baa504883 100644
--- a/src/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/IO/ADIOS/ADIOS2IOHandler.cpp
@@ -1512,7 +1512,6 @@ adios2::Mode ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl::adios2AccessMode(
         if (auxiliary::directory_exists(fullPath) ||
             auxiliary::file_exists(fullPath))
         {
-#if openPMD_HAS_ADIOS_2_8
             switch (m_handler->m_encoding)
             {
 
@@ -1523,7 +1522,11 @@ adios2::Mode ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl::adios2AccessMode(
                 case adios_defs::OpenFileAs::Create:
                     return adios2::Mode::Write;
                 case adios_defs::OpenFileAs::Open:
+#if openPMD_HAS_ADIOS_2_8
                     return adios2::Mode::ReadRandomAccess;
+#else
+                    return adios2::Mode::Read;
+#endif
                 case adios_defs::OpenFileAs::Reopen:
                     return adios2::Mode::Append;
                 }
@@ -1533,9 +1536,6 @@ adios2::Mode ADIOS2IOHandlerImpl::adios2AccessMode(
                 return adios2::Mode::Read;
             }
             break;
-#else
-            return adios2::Mode::Read;
-#endif
         }
         else
         {
diff --git a/test/Files_SerialIO/close_iteration_test.cpp b/test/Files_SerialIO/close_iteration_test.cpp
index efaeaf712b..f4ab333636 100644
--- a/test/Files_SerialIO/close_iteration_test.cpp
+++ b/test/Files_SerialIO/close_iteration_test.cpp
@@ -64,9 +64,16 @@ auto run_test_filebased(
         E_x.storeChunk(data, {0}, {5});
         it.close();
 
-        it.open();
-        it.setTimeUnitSI(2.0);
-        it.close();
+#if !openPMD_HAS_ADIOS_2_8
+        if (series.backend() != "ADIOS2")
+        {
+#endif
+            it.open();
+            it.setTimeUnitSI(2.0);
+            it.close();
+#if !openPMD_HAS_ADIOS_2_8
+        }
+#endif
     }
     series.close();